Loader



J. G. STEIN May 7, 1946.

LOADER Filed 001- 18, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 7, 1946. STEIN 1 2,399,698

LOADER Filed Oct. 18, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm Jan 627287 fiZez'zz,

Quad/W S May 7, 1946. J. G. STEIN 2,399,693

LOADER I I Filed' 001,. is; 1945 5 Sheefcs-Sheet 5 J. G. STEIN May 7, 1946.

LOADER '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 18, 1943 Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOADER John Gilbert Stein, Chattanooga, Tenn. Application October 18, 1943, Serial No. 506,736

16 Claims. (Cl

The present invention relates to improvements in loaders, and more especially to loaders which are portable and adapted to load materials 'into trucks or other vehicles.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a portable loader which is capable of operating rapidly and with facility to take up materials of various kinds from any location, as from the ground or a pile, conduct the material to a truck or other vehicle and deposit the material therein.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved portable loader which is self-propelled, and which embodies mechanisms 'for propelling and steering the loader, and for operating the bucket, all of which mechanisms may be controlled with facility by a single operator.

A more particular object is to provide a portable loader for removing surplus materials of various kinds and in various conditions, the loader carrying a pan arranged to occupy an inclined position close to the ground, and a bucket mounted to travel toward and over the pan, the bucket having a powerful digging action into the material which insures full loading of the bucket, and the reaction from dragging of the material toward the pan by the bucket tending to draw the loader and its pan toward or into the material being loaded, thereby enabling the loader to be constructed of minimum weight and requiring minimum power and traction for its operation. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a loader of the portable type carrying a pan which is inclined upwardly from the ground, and a bucket which travels toward and over the pan, the pan and bucket having a powerful clamshell action upon the material which insures complete filling of the bucket at each loading operation thereof.

A further object is to provide a boom on which the bucket travels, the boom being shaped to control the directions of travel of the bucket in digging into the material, passing to and over the pan, and discharging the material, from the bucket.

Other objects of the invention are toprovide means for impartinga bumping movement to the bucket to aid in discharging material therefrom, especially wet material which tends to stick therein, means for raising the pan from the ground when the loader is to be moved from one place to another, and simple and improved means for driving the loader forwardly or rearwardly and-for steering it;

{1'0 these and other ends, the invention consists 5o in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

, Fig. l is a side elevation of a loader constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the loader.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the loader as viewed from the right in Fig. 1.

I Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line in Fig. 3.

r Fig. 8 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 8--8 in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view, showing reversing mechanism for the driving means for the loader and for the travelling bucket.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken on the line |0'l 0 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the mode of operation of the bucket in loading the material therein and in' elevating the material and dumping it into a truck.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the hydraulic means for tilting the boom.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

The preferred embodiment is shown in the present instance and is described in detail as applied to a loader for taking up materials of various kinds, such for example, as surplus materials usually present in construction projects, and loading such materials into trucks or other vehicles for removal, but it is to be understood that the invention is useful for other purposes, and that equivalent constructions. are contemplated, and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

The'improved loader, as shown in the present instance, comprises a chassis l which carries the various parts of the loader, the chassis being composed of a base frame 2 which may be made of a length of channel iron bent into yoke shape to provide a pair of parallel side members and a curved portion 3 connecting them at one end, the other end of the base frame being open. The base frame is mounted on a pair of driving wheels 4 arranged toward its open end, and by a caster fixed to the respective wheels, and by sprocket wheels l secured to the outer ends of the re-- spective axle shafts ll mounted in suitable bearings in the axle housing l2 which is suitably fixed on the base frame, the inner ends of the axle shafts being connected to a differential I3 which may be of the construction commonly used in automobiles, the differential housing being pro-- vided with a worm gear 14 for driving these wheels. The wheel 5 is provided with a vertical pivot pin [5 rotatable freely in a bearing bracket 16 fixed to the portion 3 of the base frame, the axis of the pivot pin being offset fromthe vertical plane of the axle l1 of this wheel so that it may caster or swing into any angular position about the pivot pm under the influence of a lateral force exerted upon this end of the base frame, and thus support said end of the loader for movement in conformity with any direction in which the loader may be steered.

The present invention provides relatively simple and effective means for propelling the loader from one place to another and for simultaneously steering it in the desired direction. Such means comprises, in the present instance, a, pair of brakes 26, which may be of the usual expanding or contracting band type commonly used on automobiles, but having separate or individual operating shafts 2| and 22 by which each of the brakes may be applied independently of the other, as Well as applied simultaneously, the shaft 2| for applying one of the brakes being operated by a lever 23, and the shaft 22 for applying the other brake being operated by a lever 24 which is preferably located adjacent to the lever 23. The brakes thus provide means for varying the effectivedriving force applied to the wheels 4 by the worm wheel 14 acting through the differential 13, in consequence of which one side of the loader will move faster than the other side and thus steer the loader according to the manner and extent to which the brakes are applied, the caster wheel 5 swinging on its pivot pin and thereby accommodating itself to the course steered by the driving wheels 4.

The worm wheel [4 is driven by a, cooperating worm 25 fixed to the driven shaft 26 of a reversible gearing which may be of any suitable and well known type, that shown comprising a pair of bevel gears 21 and 28, the gear 21 being keyed or otherwise fixed to the driven shaft 26 and the gear 28 being mounted loosely on a driving shaft 29, the shafts 26 and 29 being journalled with their axes in alinement in a casing 36 and with their ends in opposed adjacent relation, as shown in Fig. 9. A pair of bevel gears 3| are journalled in opposite sides of the gear casing and mesh constantly with the gears 21 and 28, so that the latter gears are caused to retate in opposite directions. The driving shaft is provided with suitable means for connecting it to the driven shaft 26 either directly to drive it in one direction, or through the interposed gears 3| to drivethe shaft 26 in the reverse direction, such means, as shown in the present instance, comprising a sliding clutch collar" '32 which is splined on the driving shaft 29, as by a key 33 in the collar slidably engaged in a keyway 34 in the shaft 29, the opposite faces of the collar having sets of clutch teeth 35 and 36 which are engageable respectively with clutch teeth 31 on the hub of the gear 21 or with clutch teeth 38 on the hub of the gear 28. Normally, the collar 32 is held in its central position, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, by a pair of coil springs 39 which are interposed between the gears 21 and 2B and the opposite sides of the collar, the collar then occupying a neutral position with its clutch teeth disengaged from both gears 21 and 28, at which time no motion will be transmitted from the driving to the driven shaft. The collar is provided with a fork 40 for shifting it axially of the shafts 26 and 29, this fork being fixed on a shaft 4| pivoted in the casing 36 and extending through the top thereof, the upper exterior end of this shaft having an arm 42 fixed thereon. This arm is connected by a rod 43 to an arm 44 fixed on an operating shaft 45, the latter being mounted rotatably in bearings 46 on the base frame and provided with a lever 41 for operating it. When the collar 32 is shifted, by operation of the lever 41, to engage its clutch teeth 35 with those on the gear 21, the shaft 29 will drive the shaft 26 in one direction, and when the collar is shifted to engage its clutch teeth 36 with those on the gear 28, the shaft 26 will be driven in the reverse direction. The driving of the ground engaging wheels 4 in a forward or reverse direction to propel the loader forwardly or rearwardly is thus controlled by operation of the lever 41.

The driving shaft 29 of the reverse gearing is driven by a worm wheel 59 which is fixed thereon and meshes with a worm 5| journaled in a suitable casing 52 and having its driving shaft 53 connected to the output shaft 54 of a power unit which is preferably similar to the conventional power unit of an automobile, comprising an internal combustion engine 55, a main clutch 56 controlled by a clutch controlling shaft 51, and a changeable speed transmission 58 controlled by a gear shifting lever 59, whereby power from the engine is supplied for propelling the loader by its driving wheels 4. The main clutch shaft 51 has an arm 58 fixed thereon, this arm being connected by a rod 59 to a clutch controlilng lever 60 which is preferably located adjacent to the brake controlling levers 23 and 24 and reverse gearing control lever 41 so that these levers, which control the drive and steering of the loader, are within convenient reach of an operator standing on a platform 6|. This platform projects laterally from one side of the loader, but is preferably mounted detachably on the base frame thereof, as by hangers 62 which hook over a side member of the base frame so that the platform may be removed from the loader and thus avoid forming an obstruction during transport or transfer from one site to another.

The chassis provided with driving and steering means hereinbefore described, or equivalent means, carries the means for digging the material to be removed, and loading it on a truck or other vehicle. Such means comprises a pan 10 and cooperative bucket mechanism, The pan has a bottom which is preferably flat and straight, and side flanges H which are preferably vertical and parallel, the lower ends of these flanges being flared outwardly to form wings 12 for directing by a pair of brackets I3 fixed to the under-side,

of the pan near its upper end, and which rest slidably on a cross shaft I4 which is journaled in standards I5 which are rigid with and extend upwardly from the base frame, the lower portion of the pan being suspended by a pair of links 16' which are pivotally connected to the pan, as by brackets 11, and have out-turned upper ends 18 which engage in slots 19 in the side members of a yoke 80, this yoke straddling the pan and having the lower ends of its side embers fixed to the respective side members of the base frame. The lower end of the pan is adapted to reston the ground while the loader is in operation, but is provided with means for lifting it clear ofthe ground when the loader is to be transported or transferred from one site to another, such means comprising, in the present instance, a cable 8I attached at one end to the under-side of the pan and having its other end arranged to be wound on a drum 82 fixed on a shaft 83, this shaft being journaled in suitable bearings in the standards I5 and provided with a hand crank 84 for rotating it. By this arrangement, the pan can be readily raised by turning the crank, the cable thereby pulling the pan upwardly, the consequent swing of the links I6 raising the lower end of the pan clear of the ground, the brackets I3 supporting the upper portion of the pan riding freely on the cross shaft I4. Lowering of the pan to bring its lower end into engagement with or close proximity to the ground is accomplished by gravity, the weight of the pan being sufficient to unwind the cable 8I from its drum when rotation thereof is permitted.

The bucket mechanism which cooperates with the pan comprises a boom 90 which provides a track along which a bucket 9| travels in digging the material and loading it upon the vehicle,the material receiving opening 9I of the bucket facing the loader. constructed of a pair of channel irons 92 secured together in proper parallel spaced relation by a series of cross shafts 93 spaced at suitable intervals and provide a pair of tracks in which rollers 94 on the bucket carriage 95 travel, is supported in the loader by yoke-shaped frame members 96 which are fixed to the boom and are pivoted on the cross shaft I4 or a bearing coaxial therewith. The boom occupies an inclined position above the pan I0, and its degree of inclination may be varied by tilting it about the shaft 14 as a center.

The central portion of the boom is preferably straight, or substantially so, and is adapted to occupy a position substantially parallel to the pan. The lower end of the boom is shaped according to the nature and position of the material to be loaded, it having, in the present instance, a portion 90 which is curved horizontally and then upwardly to control the path of travel of the bucket in digging into a pile of material and dragging it to the pan, and the upper end of the boom has a portion 90 which is curved downwardly for tilting the bucket into a dumping position,

The bucket is caused to travel from the lower to the upper end of the boom and to return to The cable, which, in effect, is in endless form,

The boom," which is preferably passes around pulleys I04 and I05 on shafts 93 at the lower and upper ends of the boom, and the portions of the cable between these end pulleys are guided by intermediate idler pulleys I06 which are suitably spaced. along the length of the boom to support the cable in conformity with the shape of the boom. The spring I03 functions to equalize the tension on the cable and take up slack therein, due to the changing course of the bucket as it travels along the boom.

The cable is operated in one direction or the other by a drum III] around which a suitable number of convolutions of the upper stretch of the cable are wound to provide the requisite frictional driving engagement. This drum is driven by a sprocket wheel III fixed to its shaft II2 which is supported in bearings II3 mounted on the upper side of. the boom, said sprocket wheel being driven by a chain I I4 from a sprocket wheel II5 fixed on the shaft I3, this shaft having asprocket wheel I I6 fixed thereon which is driven by a chain I H from a sprocket wheel H8. The latter is fixed to the driven shaft I I9 of a reversible gearing I20 the driving shaft I2I of whichis connected to the shaft 53 of the worm 5| in the casing 52. The construction of the reversible gearing I20 is the same as that shown in Fig. 9 and hereinbefore described, so that duplication of the illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary, it being noted however that the collar shifting arm I20 for the gearing I20 to control the forward or reverse driving of the sprocket wheel H8 and the bucket travelling mechanism is connected by a rod I22 to an arm I23 fixed on a shaft I24 suitably mounted rotatably in the chassis, and that this shaft is provided with a lever I25 for operating it, this lever being located within convenient reach of an operator standing on the platform 6 I In order to enable the operator to control at all times the digging action of the bucket in scooping up the material, means is provided for tilting" the boom to different angles about the shaft I4 as a center, thereby varying the elevation and angle of the lower end of the boom. Such means consists preferably of a fluid pressure cylinder I30 having a piston I3I fitted to reciprocate vertically therein, the cylinder being secured in fixed position on the top of the yoke 80, and the piston being connected to the boom by a cross shaft I32 which may be attached by brackets I33 to the boom. A fluid pressure supply pipe I34 is connected to the lower end of the cylinder, and is adaptedto receive pressure fluid, such as oil, from a pump I35 under control of a hand valve I36 to lift the piston and the boom attached thereto, and to exhaust the pressure fluid to a reservoir I3I to permit lowering of the boom by gravity The pump I35 may conveniently be an oil pump of the conventional gear type mounted on the engine and driven therefrom in any suitable way, as by a belt or chain, it being connected by a pipe I38 to the reservoir to draw oil therefrom, and connected by a pipe I39 to one port of the valve I36, an adjacent port of the valve communieating with the cylinder I30 through the pipe I34, the other two ports of the valve being connected by a pipe I40 to the reservoir for returning oil thereto. The ports of the valve I36 are controlled by a valve member I4I which is rotatable into different positions relatively to the ports to effect the raising and lowering operations of the piston. Normally, the valve member will be in a position to provide communication between j' the pump delivery pipe I39 and the p p 0 50 that the oil delivered by the pump will be returned to the reservoir without lifting the piston I3I, the pipe I34 at this time also being in communication with the reservoir. By rotating the valve member a quarter turn clockwise, connection is established between the pump delivery pipe I39 and cylinder supply pipe I34 while connection is out off between the cylinder supply pipe and the reservoir, pressure fluid from the pipe being then introduced into the lower end of the cylinder and which will act to raise the piston I3I and the boom connected thereto to a desired height. The boom may be held in such position by rotating the valve member back to an intermediate position where it closes the ports communicating with the pipes I39 and I49 and thereby cuts off communication between the Cylinder and the pump and reservoir. By returning the valve to its normal position, the pipes I34 and I39 are placed in communication with the pipe I49, the supply of pressure fluid from the pump to the cylinder being thereby cut off and the pump and cylinder placed in communication with the reservoir, thus allowing oil to return from the cylinder to the reservoir and permitting lowering of the piston and the boom attached thereto. The valve I36 may be operated manually by a handle I42. A pressure relief valve I43 of any well known construction, preferably interconmeets the pipes I38 and I39 for by-passing fluid and thereby avoiding excessive pressure.

In operating a loader constructed as hereinbefore described, the bucket 9I is brought to or near the lower end of the boom by power from the engine 55 operating through the reverse gear ing I29 under control of the lever I25, so that the bucket is at an elevation somewhat higher than the material to be loaded, which may be in a pile, and the loader is maneuvered, under the power of the engine, to bring the pan I9 up to the material and the bucket over the material. The travelling movement of the loader is effected by the driving wheels 4, they driving the loader forwardly or rearwardly through the reversible gearing 39 under control of the lever 41, and the steering of the loader in the desired direction being controlled by operating one or the other of the levers 23 and 24 to apply the brake more or less to one or the other of the brakes 29 during the travel of the loader, application of the brake at either side of the loader reducing the efiective power applied to the respective driving wheel causing the loader to swing toward that side thereof and thereby direct its course, the caster wheel 5 pivoting on its vertical axis accordingly.

After the bucket has been brought over the material to be loaded, the bucket is operated by its cable I99 to draw it toward the pan I9 which, during the loading operation, is lowered into contact with the ground, or substantially so. The movement of the bucket toward th pan drags the material in that direction, and the reaction of such operation tends to draw the loader toward or into thematerial, the bucket action and reaction being thus equalized, and the pan cooperates with the bucket to assist in the filling thereof. When the bucket is in proximity to the pan, the bucket and pan act as jaws, providing a powerful clamshell action in each loading of the bucket, insuring full loading thereof. At or about the time the bucket reaches the pan, or prior thereto if the bucket has received a full load, the valve I36 is turned by the operator to admit pressure fluid to the lower end of the cylinder I39 thereby lifting the boom about the shaft 14 as a center, thus raising the bucket above the pan and thus relieving the bucket of excess material;

While the boom remains in its raised position, the .bucket travels up the boom and over the pan until it reaches the upper downturned portion 99 of the boom, this portion of the boom tilting the bucket into a dumping angle which angle is increased by the raising of the boom, the material being thereby dumped from the bucket into a truck T Or other suitable vehicle for removal. Under adverse conditions, as in the loading of sticky material which tends to cling in the bucket, a bumping action may be imparted to the bucket by manipulating the valve I36 to alternately admit pressure fluid to and release it from th cylinder, I39, thereby abruptly rocking the boom about the shaft I4 as an axis. After the bucket has dumped its load, and while the boom is held in raised position by the cylinder I39, the bucket is returned to the lower end of the boom and the filling and dumping operations, as described, are repeated.

Adjustment of the height of the piston I3I in the cylinder I39, under control of the valve I36, controls the depth of digging of the bucket into the material, and by appropriate adjustment thereof, the loader may be employed to strip material from the surface of the ground, or to remove material from a level below the surface thereof, as in digging trenches.

The loader is readily placed in condition for transport or travel from one site to another by winding the cable 8I upon the drum 82, thereby drawing the pan I9 up into the loader and out of contact with the ground. The loader ma be moved from one site to another either under its own power, or by towing, as by raising the end thereof carrying the caster wheel 5 and attaching this end of th loader to a truck.

The powerful digging action of the bucket, and the clamshell action between the bucket and pan enable the bucket to obtain a full load of any kind and size of material capable of entering the bucket, such as lumpy, rocky or sticky materials. As the reaction of the digging of the bucket into the material tends to advance the loader into the material, the action and reaction of the bucket digging operation are equalized. so that excessive traction of the loader upon the ground, such as afforded by crawlers or tracks, is not necessary, in consequence of which the loader may be light in weight, which not only reduces its cost and fa cilitates the maneuvering thereof, but avoids damage to pavements or other surfaces over which it travels.

The driving mechanism for propelling and steering the loader can be readily supplied from standard parts or units which are readily available, thus simplifying the construction and minimizing the cost thereof, and the controlling devices for this mechanism are so associated that they may be easily operated b a single attendant at a single station on the loader.

I claim as my invention:

1. A loader comprising a chassis having means for supporting it upon the ground, a pan mounted in the chassis and inclined upwardl from the ground level, a bucket havin a material receiving opening facing the pan, a bucket carriage, a track on the chassis along which the bucket carriage is mounted to travel, the track having reversely inclined portions to guide the bucket in a path toward the pan and then in a path above the pan, and the bucket carriage being operative to tilt the bucket asv its traverses said inclined portions of the chassis and inclined upwardly from the ground level, a track mounted in the chassis above the pan, the track having reverse bends at its upper and lower ends and an inclined intermediate portion above the pan, a bucket, a carriage supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket to* travel along the track and to tilt it as it traverses the bends in the track, the bucket having a material receiving opening toward the upper end of the track, and means for advancing the bucket along the track from its lower end toward the pan and then toward the upper end of the track.

3. A loader comprising a chassis having means for supporting it on the ground, a pan mounted in the chassis in a position inclined upwardly from the ground level, a track mounted in the chassis and having an inclined portion above the pan, portions at its lower end extending downwardly and then horizontally toward the pan, and having a downwardly extending portion at its upper end, a bucket, a carriage supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket and mounted to travel along the track and operative t tilt the bucket as its traverses the downwardly and horizontally extending portions of the track, the buckethaving a material receiving opening facing toward the upper end of the track, and means for advancing the bucket first along the downwardly and horizontally extending portion at the lower end of the track, then alon the inclined portion and finally along the downturned portion at the upper end of the track.

4. A loader comprising a wheeled chassis, a pan mounted in an inclined position on the chassis, a boom mounted on the chassis and extending above the pan and downwardly beyond the lower end thereof, a bucket, a carriage, mounted to travel along the boom and supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket, the bucket having a material receiving opening therein, and means for pulling the bucket along the lower end of the boom toward the lower end of the pan with the material receiving opening in the bucket facing the pan.

5. A loader comprising a chassis, a pan mounted in an inclined position thereon, a boom mounted on the chassis and having a portion extending in an inclined position substantially parallel to and above the pan and a substantiall horizontally extending portion projecting beyond the lower end of the pan, a bucket, a carriage, mounted to travel along the boom and supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket, the bucket having a material receiving opening which faces the pan while the carriage is on the horizontally extending portion of the boom, and means for pulling the bucket along the boom along said horizontally extending portion thereof and toward the pan and then along said inclined portion of the boom above the pan.

6. A loader comprising a chassis having means for supporting it on the ground, a pan mounted in an inclined position in the chassis and having its lower end extending to the ground level, a boom mounted in the chassis and having an inclined portion extending above the pan, a substantially horizontally and upwardly extending portion at the lower end of its inclined portion, and a downwardly extending portion at the upper end of its inclined portion, said horizontally and upwardly extending portion of the boom projecting outwardly beyond the lower end of the pan, a bucket, a carriage supporting the bucket and mounted to travel along the boom and operative to tilt the bucket as the carriage traverses said portions of the boom, the bucket having a material receiving opening which faces the pan while the bucket is on said horizontally and upwardly extending portionof the boom, and means for pulling the bucket along the boom first along the lower end of the boom toward the pan, then along the inclined portion of the boom and finally along the downturned portion of the boom.

7. 'A loader comprising a chassis, a pan mounted in an inclinedposition in the chassis, a boom mounted in the chassisabove the pan on a horizontal pivot about which it is tiltable into diiferent inclinations, a bucket having a material receiving opening facing the pan, a carriage mounted to travel along the boom and supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket for movement in a direction toward and above the pan, and means for tilting the boom upwardly whereby it will occupy aralsed position while the bucket is passing over the pan.

8. A loader comprising a chassis, a boom mounted therein for tilting movement on a horizontal pivot, and having a downturned upper end,

a bucket mounted to travel along the boom and opening of the bucket while the latteris on the downturned end of the boom.

9. A loader comprising a chassis, a boom mounted therein for tilting movement on a horizontal axis and having a downturned end, a bucket mounted t travel along the boom and onto the downturned end thereof for discharge, operating means carried by the boom for efiecting travel of the bucket therealong, a driving shaft for said operating means coaxial with said horizontal axis, and means for tilting the boom alternately in opposite directions about said horizontal axis and shaft for imparting a bumping action to the bucket while on the downturned end of the boom.

10. A loader comprising a chassis having means for supporting it on the ground, a pan mounted in an inclined position in the chassis with its lower end at the ground level, a bucket, means for pulling the bucket toward the pan to load material into the bucket, and means for moving the pan endwise into an inoperative position in the chassis.

11. A portable loader comprising a chassis hav ing means for supporting it for travel on the ground, a pan mounted in an inclined position in the chassis with its lower end in contact with the ground, means for advancing the loader to bring the pan up to material to be loaded, a bucket, having a material receiving opening facing the pan, a track and cooperating carriage for rigidly guiding the bucket, and means for pulling the bucket toward the pan while the bucket is rigidly guided by the track and carriage to load material into the bucket.

12. A portable loader comprising a wheeled chassis, a pan mounted in an inclined position in the chassis with its lower end in a position to contact with the ground, a boom mounted in an inclined position in the chassis above the pan and having a portion at its lower end projecting beyond the pan, a bucket, a carriage mounted to travel along the boom and supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket, the bucket having a material receiving opening therein which faces the pan while the bucket is on said' projecting portion of the boom, means for advancing the loader to bring the lower end of the pan up to material to be loaded, and means, for advancing the bucket along said projecting portion of the boom and toward the pan and along the inclined portion of the boom and above the pan.

13. A portable loader comprising a wheeled chassis, a, power unit thereon, a pan mounted in the chassis in an inclined position, means operable by the power unit for advancing the loader to bring the pan up to material to be loaded, a track mounted in an inclined position on the chassis above the pan and projecting'at its lower end beyond the pan, a bucket, a carriage mounted to travel on the track and supporting and rigidly guiding the bucket, the bucket having a material receiving opening which faces the pan while the bucket is on the lower end of the track, and means including reversible gearing driven by the power unit for advancing the bucket along the track toward and over the pan and for returning the bucket to the lower end of the boom.

14. A loader comprising a chassis having a pair of driving wheels, a power unit onthe chassis, a clutch and reversible gearing for connecting the Power unit to the driving wheels for propelling the loader, a loading pan carried by the chassis, adjacently located levers controlling said clutch and reversible gearing to control propulsion of the loader toward and from the material to be loaded, a bucket, means including reversible gearing operable by the power unit for advancing the bucket toward the pan to load material and for retracting it, and a lever located adjacent to the first mentioned levers for controlling the bucket advancing and retracting means.

15. A loader comprising a chassis, an inclined material receiving pan thereon, a track on the chassis having an inclined portion above and extending substantially parallel to the pan and having at its lower end a substantially horizontally extending portion and an upturned extension beyond said horizontally extending portion, a carriage supported by and mounted to travel along the track, a bucket supported and rigidly guided by the carriage and havin a material receiving opening facing the pan while the carriage is on the upturned extension and horizontally extending portion of the track, and means on the chassis for drawing the carriage along the upturned extension and the horizontally extending portion of the track to lower the bucket toward the material to be loaded and to subsequently advance the bucket toward the lower end of the pan and thereby load the bucket with material by a clamshell action of the bucket and pan.

16. A loader according to claim 15, including wheels for supporting said chassis for movement longitudinally of the direction of travel of said carriage, and wherein the reaction of the force applied in advancing said bucket toward said pan draws said chassis toward the material being loaded in said bucket.

JOHN GILBERT, STEIN. 

